These two almanacs for 1863, one published in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and the other in Vicksburg, Mississippi,
reflected the patriotic fervor of these respective
regions of the country. The contents of the Confederate
almanac, however, addressed the sober realities
of a city under siege; Vicksburg would fall to General
Ulysses S. Grants army on July 4 of that year.
To help citizens cope with shortages of such basic
commodities as sugar and salt, the Confederate Almanac
published special recipes that did not require these
ingredients.

The Union Almanac for 1863, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania: published by George McDowell

Clarkes Confederate Household Almanac for
the Year 1863, Vicksburg, Mississippi: published
by H. C. Clarke

Division of Social History, Political History
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian
Institution
Behring Center
Gift of Ralph Becker